THE WATER RESOURCES AND THE SOUTHERN QUESTION: THE RESERVOIRS IN BASILICATA

La presente nota parte dalla questione meridionale nata subito dopo l’unità d’Italia del 1861. Le differenze fra il Nord e il Sud del Paese erano causate da diversi fattori, fra i quali il sistema organizzativo e l’arretratezza tecnologica delle lavorazioni agricole, che al Sud si legava anche alle caratteristiche fisiche del territorio e alla disponibilità della risorsa idrica, con riflessi sulla ridotta possibilità di coltivazione, sulla limitazione della velocità di crescita della vegetazione e su un ecosistema più fragile rispetto all'erosione e al secolare disboscamento. Da qui tutti gli interventi avvenuti negli anni che hanno segnato la storia del nostro Paese e, nel caso particolare, della Regione Basilicata oggetto del presente articolo. Dopo la contestualizzazione storica del problema della risorsa idrica in Basilicata, l’attenzione è posta sugli interventi sul sistema idrico in Basilicata e, in particolare, alla realizzazione dei principali invasi, studiati soprattutto attraverso fonti cartografiche prima e dopo la loro realizzazione. Questi invasi sono stati descritti, illustrati e rivisti come presenza attuale sul territorio. Gli interventi abilmente effettuati dall’uomo, in anni in cui l’attenzione a uno sviluppo sostenibile non era certamente la stessa che si ha adesso, conferiscono attualmente agli invasi una presenza quasi naturale con valorizzazione delle aree nelle quali insistono. Gli invasi oggi si fondono con il territorio circostante creando suggestivi scenari paesaggistici e danno ai luoghi valenza culturale, paesaggistica, ambientale e turistica con l’insediamento di Osservatori Ovifaunistici e Oasi del WWF, attività di birdwatching, manifestazioni sportive, realizzazione di aree attrezzate. A completamento, una parte del lavoro è stata propriamente dedicata alle opere di sbarramento sotto il profilo ingegneristico, agli studi, alle conoscenze e alle indagini necessarie alla loro realizzazione. La risorsa idrica in Basilicata, da problema storicizzato, è attualmente la seconda risorsa regionale dopo il petrolio, ma la prima se si guardano i bisogni primari della popolazione.Starting from the “Southern Question" born just after the 1861 Italian national unity, this article reviews the main causes of the differences between Italy's North and South and, especially, the structure and the technological backwardness of the cultivations that has been particularly examined due to its links to the physical characteristics of the of the country and the water availability that underlie a reduced cultivation possibility and a limited growth rate, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, cause a more fragile ecosystem also due to the ancient deforestation of the area. After a short historic contextualization of the water resources problem, a closed attention is paid to the works on the Basilicata Region water system and, especially, on the main reservoirs studied through the exam of cartographic maps before and after their construction. These reservoirs have been drawn, illustrated and reviewed considering their presence on the territory. These works, even if performed in times when the attention to a sustainable development was not as high as nowadays, give to the reservoir a nearly natural aspect, beside increasing the value of the surrounding areas. These reservoirs, as a matter of facts, merging with the territory create evocative landscapes and lend to the area a particular cultural, landscape and environmental worthiness through the settlement of WWF oasis and observatories, bird-watching activities, sports events and equipped areas. Finally, part of this article is dedicated to the engineering aspects of the dams, that is to the studies, the knowledges and to the surveys necessary for their construction. The water resource of the Basilicata Region has been a problem in the past, but it is now the second regional resource just after the oil, but it must be considered the first one if the primary needs of the population are considered

EVOLUTION OF JONICA SHORELINE BETWEEN BRADANO AND BASENTO RIVERS THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL AND RECENT CARTOGRAPHIES AND IMAGES

La dinamica costiera jonica fra i fiumi Basento e di Bradano è un processo geomorfologico complesso, che prende in considerazione l'erosione, la sedimentazione, le attività umane, le mareggiate ed altri fattori. L'uso e l'analisi di cartografie e di immagini storiche e recenti può essere considerata un'operazione importante per il controllo e la valutazione del litorale costiero. Questo lavoro presenta cartografie e dati che illustrano la dinamica costiera di questa zona dal 1873 al 2007 ed consente di avere dati quantitativi per la comprensione dei fenomeni in atto e per la fase successiva decisionale per la mitigazione degli stessi.Jonica coastal dynamic between Bradano and Basento rivers analysis is a geomorphologically complex process, that takes in consideration the erosion, the sedimentation, the human activities, the seas storm and other factors. The use and the analysis of historical and recent cartographies and images can be considered a valuable task for coastal monitoring and assessment. This paper presents maps illustrating the shoreline dynamic of this area from 1873 to 2007, and supplies quantitative data for the understanding of the phenomena and the following phase of the decisional processes for the reduction of the same ones

CARTOGRAPY IN THE EXPLOITATION OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE: 3D LASER SCANNER APPLICATIONS

La presente proposta è relativa all’utilizzo dei rilievi Laser Scanner 3D per la valorizzazione dei beni culturali e naturali. Alla base di ogni intervento volto alla valorizzazione dei beni culturali e naturali è fondamentale che ci sia un percorso di conoscenza che non sia solo storico-artistico come accade spesso, ma anche attraverso la conoscenza accurata delle sue caratteristiche (posizione, forma, geometria, materia e colore), dettagli fondamentali per tutelare e valorizzare il patrimonio. La tecnologia del laser scanner 3D consente di ottenere risultati di eccellente qualità in tempi relativamente brevi e di intervenire in ambienti complessi laddove altre tecniche mostrano numerosi limiti. L’innovativa metodologia di rilievo rivela la sua efficacia non solo nell’acquisizione e restituzione dei dati, ma soprattutto nella rappresentazione cartografica. Rispetto alle altre tecniche, il rilievo non è parziale ma completo e oggettivo: tutto ciò che è presente nel range di azione del laser scanner 3D viene rilevato senza alcuna distinzione. Il suo impiego risulta, pertanto, essenziale per rilevare e acquisire informazioni su beni particolarmente articolati ed irregolari, su parti inaccessibili o comunque non facilmente raggiungibili (notevoli altezze, presenza di asperità, ecc.), su elementi delicati, evitandone il contatto diretto. In questa nota sono riportati alcuni esempi applicativi della metodologia laser scanner 3D ed il beneficio delle relative informazioni cartografiche attraverso il rilievo di alcuni importanti beni culturali di grande valenza architettonica, storica e naturale quali il, gli ipogei di piazza della città di Matera e di un tratto del torrente Gravina di Matera che intaglia formazioni coerenti determinando suggestivi paesaggi.The present paper deals with the use of the 3D Laser Scanner ion the development of natural and cultural resources. Any intervention pointed to the development of natural and cultural resources needs to learn, besides the fundamental historical and artistic knowledge, some of their characteristics such as location, form, geometrical aspects, material properties and colour, all features that must be considered basic for both the safeguard and the development of the resource itself. The 3D Laser Scanner technology enables to obtain in a short time excellent results and to be active in particular environments where other techniques result to be rather limited. This technique is particularly effective not only in the acquisition and rendering processes, but also in cartographic representation of data. Compared to other technique, the 3D Laser Scanning is complete and objective: everything that is in the activity range of the used instrument is completely registered without any distinction. Ultimately, its use results to be absolutely necessary to survey and collect information in case of quite irregular and articulated structures, of very difficult or completely inaccessible parts and of fragile elements, avoiding the direct contact. Some examples of the use of the 3D Laser Scanner technique are here quoted emphasizing the advantages of the cartographic information as result from the survey of some important cultural resources relevant from architectural, historical and natural points of view, in particular: the Santuario della Palomba, the Vittorio Veneto Square in Matera hypogees, and a part of the Gravina di Matera, a torrent deeply incised in limestones rocks that creates striking sceneries

MAPPING OF SHEEP TRACKS AND PATHS OF TRANSHUMANCE IN THE BASILICATA: THE OLD SHEEP-TRACK-MATERA MONTESCAGLIOSO

La presente proposta parte dalla tutela e valorizzazione dei tratturi, sentieri erbosi, pietrosi o in terra battuta, sempre a fondo naturale, originatisi dal passaggio e dal calpestio degli armenti ed utilizzati dai pastori per compiere la transumanza, ossia per trasferire con cadenza stagionale le greggi da un pascolo all'altro. Tali tratturi sono definiti, ai sensi delle disposizioni di legge, "beni di interesse archeologico", e sono soggetti, come ogni opera anche di pubblico interesse, a parere vincolante della soprintendenza archeologica e per i beni architettonici e per il paesaggio. La pubblicazione si sviluppa con un inquadramento del bene, storico, normativo e cartografico, partendo dalla carta generale dei tratturi in scala 1:500.000 del 1912 a cura dell'Ufficio Tecnico di Finanza di Foggia, rivista come Mappa dei tratturi nel 1959 sulla precedente edizione del 1912, terminando al web GIS Tratturi del Centro Cartografico Dipartimentale della Regione Basilicata. L’attenzione è quindi posta sull’antico tratturo Matera – Montescaglioso, percorso che si svolge lungo il ciglio della Gravina passando per Cristo la Selva, il guado Passarelli e le chiese rupestri del Vallone della Loe. L'ultimo tratto percorre il tratturo regio di Montescaglioso e si conclude nell’abbazia benedettina di San Michele Arcangelo. La percorrenza di questo tratturo consente di trarre informazioni su un tratto di territorio materano ricco di storia umana e di evidenze artistiche e naturali. Approfondimenti conoscitivi specifici sui diversi tratturi che interessano il comune di Matera, come il tratturo qui dettagliato, possono portare ad una pianificazione, articolazione e attuazione di obiettivi di tutela e valorizzazione. Le tipologie di intervento, in relazione alle caratteristiche locali, possono avere un diverso grado di trasformabilità, di godimento e tutela, e consentire, nel rispetto della conservazione dell’integrità, il miglioramento della visitabilità e della leggibilità dei tracciati tratturali, tale da ottenere, attraverso il recupero delle residue testimonianze, un riuso compatibile del sedime tratturale attraverso funzioni di potenziamento del sistema del verde e dei percorsi pedonali educativi e ludici.This proposal is part of the protection and enhancement of the tracks, grassy paths, rocky or clay, always natural background, originated by the transition and by the trampling of cattle and used by shepherds to make transhumance, to transfer every season the flocks from one pasture to another. These sheep tracks are defined in accordance with the provisions of the law as "goods of archaeological interest", and are subject, like any work in public interest, in the opinion of the archaeological and architectural Superintendent. The publication is developed in a framework of historical and recent cartography and of legal history, starting from the general map of the sheep tracks in scale of 1:500,000 created in 1912 by the Technical Office of Finance of Foggia towards to the most recent cartography. The focus is then placed on the old sheep-track Matera - Montescaglioso that starts from Matera centre and ends at the Benedictine abbey of St. Michael the Archangel in Montescaglioso. The sheep-track allows to get information on a stretch of Matera area rich in human history with artistic and natural evidence. Specific cognitive insights on the different sheep-tracks that affect the municipality of Matera can lead to action for planning, articulation and implementation of objectives of protection and enhancement

Everolimus-associated interstitial pneumonia in a renal transplant patient: a case report

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Molecular Mechanisms Mediating Antiangiogenic Action of the Urokinase Receptor-Derived Peptide UPARANT in Human Retinal Endothelial Cells

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Missense mutations in the SH3TC2 protein causing Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4C affect its localization in the plasma membrane and endocytic pathway

[EN] Mutations in SH3TC2 (KIAA1985) cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 4C, a demyelinating inherited neuropathy characterized by early-onset and scoliosis. Here we demonstrate that the SH3TC2 protein is present in several components of the endocytic pathway including early endosomes, late endosomes and clathrin-coated vesicles close to the trans-Golgi network and in the plasma membrane. Myristoylation of SH3TC2 in glycine 2 is necessary but not sufficient for the proper location of the protein in the cell membranes. In addition to myristoylation, correct anchoring also needs the presence of SH3 and TPR domains. Mutations that cause a stop codon and produce premature truncations that remove most of the TPR domains are expressed as the wild-type protein. In contrast, missense mutations in or around the region of the first-TPR domain are absent from early endosomes, reduced in plasma membrane and late endosomes and are variably present in clathrin-coated vesicles. Our findings suggest that the endocytic and membrane trafficking pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of CMT4C disease. We postulate that missense mutations of SH3TC2 could impair communication between the Schwann cell and the axon causing an abnormal myelin formation.This work was supported by the Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria [grant numbers PI08/90857, PI08/0889, CP08/00053] and the Spanish Ministry Science and Innovation [grant number SAF2006-01047]. V. L. is a recipient of JAE predoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Scientific Research Council (CSIC). M. I. G. has a `Ramon y Cajal' contract funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. C. E. has a `Miguel Servet' contract funded by the Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria. Both CIBERER and CIBERNED are initiatives from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. We are grateful to patients and their families for their kind collaboration. We thank B. Alarcón for his technical assistance and also anonymous reviewers for their invaluable insight and suggestionsLupo, V.; Galindo, MI.; Martínez-Rubio, D.; Sevilla, T.; Vílchez, JJ.; Palau, F.; Espinós-Armero, CÁ. (2009). Missense mutations in the SH3TC2 protein causing Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4C affect its localization in the plasma membrane and endocytic pathway. Human Molecular Genetics. 18(23):4603-4614. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddp42746034614182

The p.R1109X mutation in SH3TC2 gene is predominant in Spanish Gypsies with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4

[EN] Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease type 4 (CMT4) is the name given to autosomal recessive forms of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN). When we began this study, three genes or loci associated with inherited peripheral neuropathies had already been identified in the European Gypsy population: HMSN-Lom (MIM 601455), HMSN-Russe (MIM 605285) and the congenital cataracts facial dysmorphism neuropathy syndrome (MIM 604168). We have carried out genetic analyses in a series of 20 Spanish Gypsy families diagnosed with a demyelinating CMT disease compatible with an autosomal recessive trait. We found the p.R148X mutation in the N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 gene to be responsible for the HMSN-Lom in four families and also possible linkage to the HMSN-Russe locus in three others. We have also studied the CMT4C locus because of the clinical similarities and showed that in 10 families, the disease is caused by mutations located on the SH3 domain and tetratricopeptide repeats 2 (SH3TC2) gene: p.R1109X in 20 out of 21 chromosomes and p.C737_P738delinsX in only one chromosome. Moreover, the SH3TC2 p.R1109X mutation is associated with a conserved haplotype and, therefore, may be a private founder mutation for the Gypsy population. Estimation of the allelic age revealed that the SH3TC2 p.R1109X mutation may have arisen about 225 years ago, probably as the consequence of a bottleneck.We are grateful for the kind collaboration of patients and families. This work was supported by the Fondo de Investigacio¿n Sanitaria (grant PI040932) and the Spanish Network on Cerebellar Ataxias of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant G03/56). English text was revised by F Barraclough.Claramunt, R.; Sevilla, T.; Lupo, V.; Cuesta, A.; Millán, J.; Vilchez, JJ.; Palau, F.... (2007). The p.R1109X mutation in SH3TC2 gene is predominant in Spanish Gypsies with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4. Clinical Genetics. 71(4):343-349. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-0004.2007.00774.x34334971

Biochemical and clinical relevance of alpha lipoic acid: antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, molecular pathways and therapeutic potential

The molecular nature of lipoic acid (LA) clarifies its capability of taking part to a variety of biochemical reactions where redox state is meaningful. The pivotal action of LA is the antioxidant activity due to its ability to scavenge and inactivate free radicals. Furthermore, LA has been shown to chelate toxic metals both directly and indirectly by its capability to enhance intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels. This last property is due to its ability to interact with GSH and recycle endogenous GSH. LA exhibits significant antioxidant activity protecting against oxidative damage in several diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Interestingly, LA is unique among natural antioxidants for its capability to satisfy a lot of requirements, making it a potentially highly effective therapeutic agent for many conditions related with oxidative damage. In particular, there are evidences showing that LA has therapeutic activity in lowering glucose levels in diabetic conditions. Similarly, LA supplementation has multiple beneficial effects on the regression of the mitochondrial function and on oxidative stress associated with several diseases and aging

Immunoevolution of mouse pancreatic organoid isografts from preinvasive to metastatic disease

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has a highly immunosuppressive microenvironment, which is contributed by the complex interaction between cancer cells and a heterogeneous population of stromal cells. Therefore, facile and trackable models are needed for integrative and dynamic interrogation of cancer-stroma interaction. Here, we tracked the immunoevolution of PDA in a genetically-defined transplantable model of mouse pancreatic tumour organoids that recapitulates the progression of the disease from early preinvasive lesions to metastatic carcinomas. We demonstrated that organoid-derived isografts (ODI) can be used as a biological source of biomarkers (NT5E, TGFB1, FN1, and ITGA5) of aggressive molecular subtypes of human PDA. In ODI, infiltration from leukocytes is an early event during progression of the disease as observed for autochthonous models. Neoplastic progression was associated to accumulation of Maf+ macrophages, which inversely correlated with CD8+ T cells infiltration. Consistently, levels of MAF were enriched in human PDA subtypes characterized by abundance of macrophage-related transcripts and indicated poor patients' survival. Density of MAF+ macrophages was higher in human PDA tissues compared to preinvasive lesions. Our results suggest that ODIs represent a suitable system for genotypic-immunophenotypic studies and support the hypothesis of MAF+ macrophages as a prominent immunosuppressive population in PDA